The ability to detect biological and chemical contaminants in a specific environment can be an important diagnostic tool in many different settings. For example, in any environment where an identified hazardous biological or chemical agent is known to exist, individuals who are called on to work in that environment are able to utilize appropriate protective measures such as protective clothing to avoid unintended exposure to the hazardous materials. But in many cases the presence of a hazardous biological or chemical agent may be suspected, but not confirmed. In those cases it is necessary to either provide adequate safety gear for personnel who might be exposed to the agent, or to complete a biohazard screening prior to exposing personnel to the environment. Neither solution fully addresses the problem. As to the former, it may not be possible to provide sufficient protective equipment for all individuals who might be exposed, and since the presence and/or type of biohazardous agent has not been confirmed, the correct type of protective gear necessary to ensure safety may not be available or chosen. As to the later, many screening tests require a significant amount of time to complete; there may not be sufficient time to complete analytical testing to confirm the presence, or absence of a biohazard before personnel are required to enter the area.
There is an ongoing and existing need, therefore, for apparatus and methods for rapidly detecting and confirming the presence of biological or chemical agents in a given environment.
Living cells are known to react to biological and chemical stimuli such as the stimuli caused by biohazardous compounds and materials. Live cells thus exhibit known physiological and morphological responses when exposed to other cells such as bacteria, viruses and molecules. And it is known that these cellular reactions to such compounds may be detected in various ways, including detecting changes in optical transmission properties of the cells, and through the use of indicator compounds. Various biosensors have been described that rely upon these known cellular reactions. However, such biosensors and the methodologies they use to detect biohazards do not adequately address the need for rapid qualitative determination of the presence of biohazardous compounds in a specific environment, tend to be too expensive, and are often difficult for untrained personnel to use.